Flat Kitchen Table Folds into Tiny Gable-Roofed Play House

Ever wonder how those robots in the movies seem to transform into objects much larger or smaller than themselves? Laws of physics teach us what we intuitively know: it is not possible to transform an object into something larger or smaller than the original. As such, a house that folds open from a normal-sized, innocent-looking wooden table … well, it is bound to be pretty small.

Putting practicality aside for the moment, however, the pull-down walls and pop-up roof are impressively smooth when seen in operation (as shown in the video included here). The pictures and short film show that the intent is also likely not to make this an alternative abode but rather a play-space for children – a kind of convertible club-house that serves a second purpose as a standard four-legged wood table when not being used as a toy.

Ingred Brandth did not design this as a nuclear fall-out shelter for serious emergencies, but rather as a place where someone could feel emotionally safe and psychologically protected. As an added bonus, this miniature playroom is also a natural secret – kids can choose to show friends or keep it to themselves. The ability to easily and quickly pull-down ‘walls’ and pop up a simple ‘roof’ creates the feeling of sitting inside a very very small and cozy little house-within-a-home.